Improved row or scull lock



UNITE STATES PATENT rtree..

JOSEPH YV. NORCROSS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO W. YV. VILCOXAND JOSEPH HALL, JR., OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVED ROW OR SCULL LOCK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,373, dated September20, 1864.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. N oRcRoss, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Rowand Scull Lock; I and do hereby declare that the following is a full,tlcar, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this speciticatiomin which-Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention,taken in the plane indicated by the line x w, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a planor top view ofthe same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

lt consists, further, in the application of one or two lnovable oryielding jaws,in combination with the movable joint and oar, in such amanner that the oar can be instantly shipped or unshipped, ascircumstances may dictate.

A represents a rowlock, composed of a ball and-socket, or otheruniversal joint, and made. of wood or any other suitable material. Thehandle B of the oar is connected to the universal joint, eitherpermanently or so that it can be detached therefrom, and thc universaljoint may either be permanently tixcd to the gunwale of a boat, orwithin the ordinary rowloek, or it may b e mede in such a manner that itcan be shipped or unshipped.

The most convenient form of making the universal joint, suitable for lnyrowlock, is that of an ordinary ball-and-socket joint, and the `nall maybe cast ot' iron, or made of any other suitable material, and providedwith two arms extending in opposite directions, so that the handle ofthe oar may be secured to them or the handle may be passed through theball, or connected to it in any other suitable mannein The socket may beformed either of two jaws, which inclose the lball completely after thesame has been introduced and do not allow of its being unshipped exceptit' one of the jaws is removed, or said socket may be made of onestationary jaw, a, and

one yielding jaw, b, formed as shown in the drawings. Thesejaws are soformed that the pressure of the ball in rowing presses the same down,and, moreover, the yielding jaw is situated behind the ball, so thatinrowing the stationaryjaw sustains the principal pressure.

Thejaw b is made yielding, so that the oar can be instantly shipped orunshipped. A spring, C, may be applied behind said yieldingjaw to keepthe same close up to the surface of the ball.

This improved rowlock allows of lerforming all the motions which can beperformed with an ordinary oar. The blade of the oar can be turned so asto meet the wind edgewise, or, as it is commonly termed,to bring theblade to a feather-edge. Unlike all the rowlocks, it makes no noise inthe operation of rowing, and for steering purposes or for sculling ithas many apparent advantages. It can be used as a sweep 011 all kinds offloats or boats. The rowlock can be fastened to the boats or floats withscrews, rivets, bolts, or nails, or by any other ordinary method offastening rowlocks. It can be used with or without springs, and thelballcan be made solid or hollow; In the movable rowlock is a pin-hole tofasten the ball ett'ectually, should it be desirable. The socket can loeconnected either to the boat orto the oar. The oar, when used as anelastic oar, has strong springs in front ot' the rowlock, and in thatcase the rowlock is made to workin a slide. v

The principal advantages of nty rowlock are as follows: First, it workswithout noise; second, it is durable; third, it is perfectly reliable,and cannot be unshipped with the motion ofthe sea; fourth, it is workedand used with much more ease than any other rowlock; fifth, it enables acommon oar to bc used in place of the rudder; sixth. it allows ot'having the oar remain connected with the boat or unshipped at pleasure.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The movable oryieldingjaw b, with theretaining-spring C, applied in combination withthe universal joint and with the oar, in the manner and for the purposesubstantially as herein shown and described.

JOSEPH W. NORCROSS.

Witnesses:

J. E. LATHROP, HoMER CHUROHTLL.

